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HomeDesign

Design

1964 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser
Links

1964 Oldsmobile Vista-Cruiser was a clever way to downsize the big American wagon

March 8, 2024 Steve 5

Motor Trend lauded the 1964 Oldsmobile Vista-Cruiser and Buick Sports Wagon for being as roomy as a full-sized wagon even though they were based on General Motors’ mid-sized body. Indeed, cargo room was 6.4 cubic […]

2001 BMW 745
Design Notes

BMW’s 7 Series ‘Bangle butt’ helped legitimize weird styling

March 6, 2024 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 3/5/2021) In the comments we’ve recently talked about Chris Bangle, so I thought I would expand a story I had written a few years ago about one of the most controversial designs that […]

1959 Studebaker Lark
Editor's Note

Reader of 1959 Studebaker design-theft story dismisses ‘useless exercise’

March 5, 2024 Steve 0

Neil stopped by to comment on our story, “1959 Studebaker: Was it really design theft?” He wrote: “I think this is a useless exercise. Tho it seems to me as the Valient came later, it’s […]

1941 Lincoln Continental front quarter
Fake Design

Was the 1940-41 Lincoln Continental the all-time most influential U.S. halo car?

February 19, 2024 Steve 17

(EXPANDED FROM 2/14/2023) Since this is Presidents’ Day, let’s take another look at what I have suggested is the most influential halo car of all time built in the United States — the original Lincoln […]

1964 Ford Thunderbird
Links

Car and Driver playfully roasts a 1964 Ford Thunderbird convertible

February 13, 2024 Steve 4

Car and Driver’s road test of a 1964 Ford Thunderbird reminded me of what I enjoyed about the magazine in its heyday. Although it threw in a few bits of fawning praise, that struck me […]

1956 Ford Country Sedan
Design Notes

1956 Ford Country Sedan wagon: The once and future Explorer

February 13, 2024 Steve 5

(EXPANDED FROM 1/25/2022) Nineteen-fifty-six was a pivotal year for Ford station wagons. This was essentially the last time that the brand would offer an old-fashioned, utilitarian wagon for more than three decades. When the Ford […]

1950 Studebaker
Links

Bullet-nosed 1950 Studebaker was called futuristic when it was introduced

February 12, 2024 Steve 2

Last month Indie Auto made fun of articles written with artificial intelligence by running a fake piece about the 1950 Studebaker (go here). The infamous bullet-nosed car deserves more attention than that, so let’s take […]

1972 Ford Gran Torino 2-door hardtop
Links

All-new 1972 Ford Torino didn’t rank well against older intermediates

February 5, 2024 Steve 3

The 1972 Ford Torino was a particularly big deal. The automaker had bestowed upon its mid-sized offerings the first all-new platform since they were introduced in 1962. Ford ditched unit-body construction and increased exterior dimensions […]

2006-7 Dodge Charger
Letters to the Editor

Owner of a 2007 Dodge Charger calls comments about the car ‘not in line’

January 28, 2024 Steve 0

Hawk stopped by to respond to our story, “2006-2010 Dodge Charger: A cartoonish attempt at rip-roaring nostalgia.” I own a 2007 Dodge Charger R/T and have enjoyed many positive comments on it. This all-black beauty […]

1966 Oldsmobile Toronado and drivetrain
Design Notes

1966 Oldsmobile Toronado: Just another shiny thing from General Motors

January 19, 2024 Steve 20

(EXPANDED FROM 6/18/2021) In selecting the 1966 Oldmobile Toronado as its Car of the Year, Motor Trend (2005) took out its pom-poms and gushed that “never in the 14-year history of this award has the […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 24 25 26 … 43 »
  • Is Jaguar smart to run away from its design heritage?
    October 8, 2026 21
  • AMC Pacer clay model
    Why does Joe Ligo’s PBS series sanewash AMC’s mid-70s recklessness?
    October 6, 2026 20
  • 2026 Ram pickups
    A pyrrhic regulatory rollback and how poorly the 1978 Matador coupe sold
    October 2, 2026 12
  • 1962 Chrysler 300
    Did the 1962-65 Chrysler 300 ‘dilute’ the letter series?
    September 29, 2026 7
  • 1968 Ford Mustang
    Three rules led to a stultifying level of conformity in 1960s U.S. car design
    September 24, 2026 12
  • 1976ish Toyota Corolla
    Data on imports sheds light on their dramatic gains from 1964-80
    September 18, 2026 5
  • 1974 Chrysler New Yorker
    1974 Chrysler New Yorker was a tragedy that played out on four levels
    September 16, 2026 16
  • Internet problems reminded me of U.S. automakers in the 1970s
    May 2, 2026 1
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 141
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